"I'm surprised he's an underdog" - Alexander Volkanovski expresses disbelief at Robert Whittaker's underdog status for UFC 308
Alexander Volkanovski has admitted he's surprised Robert Whittaker is heading into his UFC 308 bout against Khamzat Chimaev as the betting underdog. The pair are set to clash this weekend in the co-main event, which takes place on Oct. 26 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Per the current odds on the UFC's official website, 'The Reaper' is currently a +180 underdog compared to 'Borz', who stands as the favorite at -218. The odds don't reflect either fighter's place in the rankings either, as Whittaker is ranked No.3 in the middleweight division, whereas Chimaev is No.12.
Heading into the fight, Whittaker has looked back to his best, putting away Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov back-to-back as he seeks another shot at the middleweight title. For Chimaev, the 30-year-old still remains undefeated (13-0) but hasn't fought in over a year, last time out defeating Kamaru Usman on short notice at UFC 294.
As the pair gear-up for their highly anticipated contest, Alexander Volkanovski spoke to Submission Radio to offer his thoughts on the fight. 'The Great' revealed that he expects a close contest, but has admitted he is confused as to how Robert Whittaker is being considered the underdog. He explained:
"Whittaker, I'm surprised he's the underdog. I really am. Khamzat is a very good fighter, you know he'll bring it. He's got one speed and he's full on and dangerous but I think Rob's going to be well prepared for that. I think it goes to the later rounds where Rob will take advantage of it. It is going to be a tough first round 100% though."
Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments here (5:29):
Alexander Volkanovski hopes to face Max Holloway in Australia after 'Blessed' wins at UFC 308
Alexander Volkanovski has revealed he's hoping to make his return to the octagon at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia. Whilst no opponent has been confirmed, however, 'The Great' is hoping it will be Max Holloway.
'Blessed' is set to face Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title this weekend at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. Volkanovski has since stated he hopes to see Holloway walk away victorious, as he believes he'll have a better chance at booking another bout against the Hawaiian than 'El Matador'.
Speaking in the same interview with Submission Radio, Volkanovski explained:
"What makes it likely that I fight soon and fight here in Sydney is Max winning [at UFC 308]. I think the chance of me fighting in Australia in Sydney in February is if Max wins. The chance is a lot higher and I am picking him to win." [1:05 onwards in the aforementioned video]
Volkanovski's last appearance saw him facing a second-round submission defeat to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298. As a result, Topuria secured a featherweight title and will look to defend it at UFC 308.